An Agent and a Hacker
by Mandie scifi lover
Summary: Ward and Skye first kiss. Set some time in the near future.
1. Chapter 1

The op was going to be very dangerous. As such, Ward would be going in alone.

An organization, a very evil, world dominating organization, had control of a very dangerous device. It was a device that could exhibit mind control over any victim it wanted provided they had a sample of said persons DNA. The device had to be either destroyed or stolen, and that was a job for Agent Ward, and Agent Ward alone.

They had toyed with the idea of the whole team going in, but the risks were too extreme. They had all agreed a one man team would be better. But they all knew the risks were heavy. If Ward was captured, he may never be recovered, and even if he was recovered, there were no promises about his mental wellbeing.

In short, the situation sucked.

FitzSimmons stayed top side to monitor Grant's bio signs and tech. Colson and Mei also remained on the bus to direct him through the labyrinth and give him intel. That left Sky to drop him off, hack the system, and drive the getaway car, a fact for which she was both grateful and nervous.

Agent Ward was currently driving. He said driving helped him focus, helped him keep from getting nervous. Sky could see how that was true. With nothing to focus her mind on, she was practically going crazy in the passenger seat. She kept glancing at Grant and then back at the road, wondering if they would actually talk about how much danger he was putting himself in. Of course, it's not like it mattered. It had to be done and Agent Ward was the man for the job.

When they finally arrived at the crowded parking lot (the front for the agencies base was a law firm), Agent Ward put the car in park and let out a long breath.

"We're here," he said, talking to the team back at the bus.

"Good." Colson's voice. "Your access looks clear, as long as those codes hold. Sky?"

She cleared her throat, jolting out of her nervous stupor. "Yeah?"

"You ready to be the best hacker you've ever been?"

"Yes sir," she said, knowing Grant's life depended on it.

"All right then. I know you can do this," he said from her ear.

Agent Ward turned his deep, brown eyes on her and raised his eyebrows. "So do I. I have complete confidence in you."

Sky nodded nervously, her eyes flicking away and then back to his face.

"Agent Ward? You have a go," Colson said.

"Yes sir," he responded. His eyes were still on Sky. He suddenly cleared his throat and then turned back to the front, unclipping his seat belt. Sky felt her heart beat into her throat. She had to say something before he left, something that he would remember, something that would tell him how much she cared about him. But nothing came to her head.

It seemed like time was moving in slow motion. It felt like they sat there, staring out the front windshield, neither willing to begin the mission, for a lifetime. Sky held her breath, almost hoping Grant wouldn't go.

But then he reached for the door handle.

A moment later, he had turned back suddenly and surprised her by grasping her face between two strong hands and kissing her hard. There was no time for her to think as he deepened the kiss, fueled by passion, and nerves, and fear. He kissed her so hard, she was breathless in seconds and she felt her body responding to his.

Grasping his outstretched arms in her hands, she held on, kissing him back with equal passion. She could feel his hand in her hair, clutching her almost painfully, not wanting to let go. She wished they were closer, wished the damn median wasn't in the way, wished she could feel his body on hers. Passion was practically pulsing through her body and she never wanted something to last forever so badly in her life.

It felt like a lifetime and yet no time at all when Grant pulled his lips away, breathing hard, their foreheads still touching, his hands still tied in her hair. She grasped his arms tightly, practically begging him not to go, her own breath coming in gasps.

They were both jolted out of their revere when Colson's voice came over the radio.

"Hey, what's the hold up? Everything all right?"

Grant pulled his head away slightly so he could look deep into Sky's eyes, and then cleared his throat.

"Yes sir, everything's fine. I'm just getting ready to go in."

He was looking at her deeply, his hands still around her head, her hands still grasping his arms. They were both still breathing hard and she could see the passion in Grant's eyes.

"I don't want you to go," Sky said, swallowing hard and trying to keep her voice from shaking.

"I know," he responded, and she was surprised to hear his voice strong and clear. "But I have to. This has to be done." His dark eyes were soft as he looked at her and then he untangled his hands from her hair. She reluctantly released his arms and he brushed one hair from her face, leaning forward to kiss her lightly again.

"I'm counting on you Sky," he said, his face confident. "I know you can do it."

With one last look at her, he opened the door and was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed this story. I'm overwhelmed by the response so I will be continuing!

It was only ten minutes later, and everything was going to hell.

Grant was waiting anxiously at a locked door, almost through the labyrinth below the law firm that led up to where the device was kept. He was waiting for the door to open, a task which was completely in Skye's hands. And, to top it off, there were four guards about to round the corner.

"Four guards, probably rounding the corner in ten seconds Ward, do you copy?" It was Mei's voice, tight and controlled over the radio.

"Copy that. Skye, where are you?"

"I'm working as fast as I can!" Her voice was tight with fear as she tried to focus on the task she was doing.

The tension was palpable, even over the radio, and Skye's breathing was coming in quick gasps as she thought about Ward waiting in enemy territory for her to complete her task, his life probably hanging on the line.

"Uh, Skye," Simmons said, "If you don't calm down you're liable to pass out."

_Damn body sensors_.

"Skye," it was Ward's voice, "You can do this. Just focus and relax, just like training."

His soothing voice entered her brain and she felt herself calm a notch or two.

"Got it!" she exclaimed a moment later and she heard everyone's sighs of relief.

"Going in!" Agent Ward exclaimed and he ducked through the door. Suddenly, gun fire was apparent over the coms.

"Coming under fire!" Ward's voice yelled over the gun fire.

"Guards must have seen him," Mei said.

Skye held her breath as the gun fire seemed to come to a crescendo.

"Ward's been hit!" Simmons exclaimed.

"What? Where? Is he okay?" Skye's voice sounded frantic even to her own ears.

"Yes," Jemma replied quickly. "It looks like it just got him in the arm. He should be okay for now."

"You just focus on hacking Skye," Grants voice came through the ear piece, tight, in pain, but still strong. "I need you, remember?"

"Right," Skye's voice was slightly breathless. "I know."

She started to work on the next door, the last door she realized, when Colson broke in,

"Got three more guards coming your way Agent Ward, and ten more behind them."

"Damn," she heard Ward swear. "Okay. How's that door coming Skye? I'm almost there."

"Yeah, should be open…" she bit her lip, "now."

She hoped he was going through the door, because they only stayed open for about five seconds.

"I'm through the last door. Looks like minimal security in here."

"Not surprising since they wouldn't expect anyone to get that far," Mei's voice said.

"I see the device. You're sure a couple well placed shots will kill it?" Grant asked.

"Yes," Fitz Scottish accented voice said, "It's not built for combat. It has next to no defenses so it should just come apart like any normal piece of machinery when shot at point blank range."

"Right," Grant said and the next moment there was the sound of shots being fired and crumpling metal. "I think that should do it."

"Okay, you better get out of there ASAP," Mei's voice said, sounding concerned.

"You've got those first three guards bearing down on you in five seconds."

There was faint clanging and then, "Skye! Why aren't the ducts unlocked?" Wards voice was a little on edge and Skye had to remember to breathe.

"I'm working on it." His escape route made use of the large air ducts that lined the labyrinth. But, they were all locked seeing as a person could get in them, so it was up to Skye to open them. Gun fire came from her earpiece again and she tried to ignore it. The best way to help him now was to get those grates unlocked.

Then, she heard a sickening thud from the speaker.

"Ward is down," Simmons said, her voice filled with fear.

"What!" Skye could feel her heart in her throat.

"He's still alive, but he's definitely unconscious."

"Damn it," she heard Mei utter.

If Grant didn't wake up on his own, Skye knew they didn't have an exit plan or a rescue operation that would help him. He had to get out on his own or not at all. If anyone else went in after him, it would be a suicide operation.

Skye held her breath, listening carefully to her ear piece, straining for any noise that would give her a clue as to what was going on.

"I think he's being dragged," Simmons commented.

"Come on Ward, wake up!" That was Colson, the anger in his voice surprising her.

"Please wake up," Skye muttered. He just couldn't die right after they'd finally kissed, right after they showed their feelings. That would just be… the world's worst timing.

The radio was completely silent for what felt like hours. Everyone was holding their breath, not knowing what was going to happen. It dragged on and on, the faint sounds of talking, the continuous _swish_ of material on floor.

"Come on Grant!" Skye exclaimed. "Please!"


	3. Chapter 3

"Come on Grant!" Skye exclaimed. "Please!"

She was rewarded with a low moan.

"Grant!" Skye said, just as everyone else exclaimed the same thing, but with different variations on his name.

"You have to wake up Agent Ward, otherwise you may not get out of there," Mei's voice said. It was hard and commanding.

A moment later, they all held their breath as sounds of fighting came over the speaker. Loud _omphs _and punches and muted cries of pain filled the airwaves until finally it was silent. Ward was obviously still there, breathing heavy.

"I'm still here guys," he said in a very pain filled voice. Fitzsimmons whooped in happiness, Mei muttered a muted, "yes" and Skye couldn't bring herself to say anything, for fear they would hear the tears in her voice.

"Good job Agent Ward. Now get out of there. That's an order." Colson's voice was relieved.

"Skye?" Ward's voice again, very tight. "Which grate?"

"Uh…" Skye tried to find her voice and remember what she was doing. "There should be one right ahead, on the left. Just give me one sec."

He moved over to it and waited for her to open it.

"Oh no, Agent Ward, don't move too quickly. You've taken quite a blow," Simmons voice said, "You're liable to pass out."

"Yeah," Ward's weak voice came. "I noticed that. I can barely see straight."

"Okay the grates open!" Skye said quickly and she heard him climb in. The radio was filled with clanging then from Ward's moving limbs through the metal tube. He stopped several times for directions from Skye and Mei and got several suggestions from Simmons on his physical wellbeing. It was obvious he was having trouble seeing and staying focused, but he knew better than anyone what the stakes were.

"Okay, you should be coming to the grate that leads outside." Mei said. "Skye, you need to get over there."

"Right!" Skye was shaken out of her revere and she put down her computer and climbed over the median to sit in the driver's seat. "Just tell me when."

"Ward?" Colson's voice. "Can you see the light from outside yet?"

"Um, I think so, if my eyes aren't playing tricks on me."

"Okay, don't push open the grate until Skye is in position. Then you're going to have to jump down, do you understand?" Mei asked, speaking slowly.

"Yeah, got it. Tell me when."

Skye turned the car on and began to make her way quickly over to where Ward was coming out. "I'm ready."

"Ward, now," Mei's voice said.

A clang came from the speakers and then Skye could see Ward, his form hunched in the duct about five feet from the ground. He quickly jumped down and landed in a roll. It took him a little too long to get up and Skye almost got out to help him. But then he was running around to the passenger side and sliding in the seat.

When she looked at him, she let out an involuntary gasp at his appearance. Blood was literally running down his face, from a gash that seemed to cross half his forehead. His arm was equally soaked and his eyes were unfocused.

"Ward, oh my-

"Just drive! We have to get out of here."

She did as she was told, just happy to have him back alive.

"What's wrong Skye?" Colson asked.

She glanced at him again and then answered, "He's pretty banged up is all. Definitely worse for the ware."

"Okay, just get him back here quickly," Colson said firmly.


	4. Chapter 4

The whole way back to the air field, Ward said very little. Skye thought it was either because he was in too much pain, couldn't focus, or just didn't know what to say. She kept glancing over at him as they drove, wondering if he would be all right, wondering if the kiss meant something to him. She had a feeling Ward hadn't expected to make it out of there alive, which was why he'd kissed her. She just hoped that didn't mean he would take it back later, when they had time to process everything that had happened.

"Grant, you still with me?" she asked as she thought she saw him nodding off. He turned his blood caked face towards her and his brown eyes were surprisingly focused.

"I'm fine Skye, stop worrying."

"Hey," she said, turning back to look at the road. "If you saw yourself in a mirror, you wouldn't be so quick to dismiss it either."

She sighed, wanting to ask him how he was but knowing he would just brush it off again. _I always try to mask my pain in front of beautiful women because I think it makes me seem more masculine._ Skye almost smiled as she remembered that line. It had been one of the first things Ward had said to her, after he'd been injected with truth serum.

"You just masking your pain again Agent Ward?" She gave him a snarky, sidelong glance that she hoped he knew was teasing.

"Of course," he responded, still looking at the road but she thought she could see the hint of a smile playing on his lips.

When they finally arrived at the bus, the whole team was there to meet them. They were all looking very concerned and became even more so when they were greeted with their first sight of Agent Ward since he left.

Skye put the car in park and quickly turned it off, while Grant went for the door handle. He pushed the door open, tried to get out, and found himself stumbling onto the garage floor. Mei was there in an instant, steadying him as Skye quickly ran around the car to them. Fitzsimmons were obviously in shock at his appearance and both stood a short distance away, staring. Coulson was just making his way over to take Ward's other arm.

"What are you both looking at?" Coulson asked his voice sharp. "This man needs help. Simmons, what does the scanner say?"

She jumped and quickly turned to run into the lab, followed closely by Fitz. Skye followed Ward in, supported on either side by Mei and Coulson. They sat him down on a table and Simmons quickly brought up a picture of his head, appearing on the screen across the room from them.

While she looked at it, Skye leaned against the table that was opposite where Ward was sitting. She kept looking at him, waiting for him to look back at her. He did, a couple times, his eyes flicking to her and then away again. Mei began cutting off the sleeve of his arm so she could get to the bullet wound in his bicep.

"Well," Simmons said, "It looks like you'll be just fine. Shouldn't be any complications." She turned around and gave Ward a winning smile. "You're lucky though, it could have been much worse. But you will have to take it easy for a while, which, I know you don't like to do. And we'll need to do another scan tomorrow."

Grant looked like he was about to protest when Coulson said,

"That's an order Ward, don't push it." His voice was still tightly controlled but he was looking more relieved. Mei glanced at Coulson curiously and then went back to working on Grant's arm.

"But, I will have to stitch up that nasty cut. And someone will have to wake you every couple hours tonight. Sorry," Simmons said, giving him an apologetic smile.

"I'll do it," Skye said a little too quickly. Everyone turned to look at her with curious eyes. She cleared her throat. "I mean… unless someone else wants to?"

Everyone seemed happy enough to let her do the honors and she caught Ward trying to hold back an amused smile.

"Ow!" Agent Ward exclaimed as Mei poked him a little too harshly. She looked up at him.

"Did that hurt?"

Giving her one of his well-known angry faces, he glared at her. "No, it tickled."

Smiling slightly, she continued to work.

Skye sighed and came over to stand in front of Ward, as Jemma had taken up his left side with her equipment for stitching him up.

"Well, it looks like you guys have this under control and since Ward is no longer in danger of death; I'll be getting something to drink now."

Grant looked at her with soulful brown eyes, still looking handsome even covered in blood.

"Let me know when you need waking okay robot?" She raised her eyebrows at him, patted him on the knee, and then left the lab, moving up the stairs and followed closely by Coulson and Fitz.


	5. Chapter 5

Ward climbed the stairs carefully, holding the railing and trying not to grimace. His head was pounding and his vision was still a little haywire. He didn't want everyone else to know how much pain he was in, so he didn't let it show until he was alone. As such, he hadn't been given any pain killer either. Sometimes his own stubbornness annoyed the crap out of him.

His arm was throbbing also but felt surprisingly good compared to his head. He was lucky it was just a flesh wound, as the bullet could have hit any number of ligaments or bones. He had been ordered by Simmons to take a shower and then get some rest, informing Skye of her job to wake him every two hours. He had to smile at her eagerness to do the job.

Of course, he hadn't expected to make it out alive. The kiss had been completely impulsive, a word that was rarely in his vocabulary, and now he wondered if he'd done the right thing. He cared for her, certainly, and even after she'd betrayed them, he still cared for her, even though he didn't want to. Of course, after he'd found out the real reason for her betrayal, about the search for her parents, he couldn't hold it against her. He understood.

But how would being together affect their working relationship? Was it wise for them to take their relationship farther? How could they be together and still stay objective in the field? And then there was the question of his supervision over her…

He arrived at the second level and walked carefully into the main living space of the plane. He could see Skye's form sitting across the way at the bar, Fitz sitting next to her. Coulson was probably in his office and Mei had gone back to the pilot's chamber to prepare for take-of. She'd said she'd give him ten minutes to take a shower and then she was taking off.

Ward leaned against the wooden column and watched Skye from his vantage point. She was obviously talking to Fitz and he was nodding and making comments in return. He wondered what they were talking about. Her dark hair was spilling down her back in large curls and her highlights were glinting in the light. He wanted to touch it again, like he had in the car before he'd left. It was silky and thick, he remembered.

Sighing, he went to take a quick shower before they took off; trying to decide what he was going to say to her when they finally had the chance to talk.

OOOOO

They had arrived at their cruising altitude and Skye still hadn't seen Ward. She wondered where he was and hoped he wasn't passed out somewhere. Her fears were allayed when he arrived in the main sitting area, where she and Fitz were just unstrapping themselves from their seats at the table. She smiled at him as he walked into the room.

"Feeling better?" she asked, walking to him.

"Yes," he lied. "But Simmons tells me you still have to wake me up every couple hours tonight." He gave her a dry look. "Seems like we'll both be getting very little sleep."

Snorting at him, she rolled her eyes. "Yeah right Mr. I have a concussion and can barely walk straight. You're gonna be out like DOS trying to run Windows 7."

He almost cracked a smile at that. Why was it so hard to make this man smile?

"So," she said, "You gonna go to sleep now or are you up for some Monopoly?" She stressed the last word and her eyes were teasing.

He was tempted but his head was throbbing even worse now and he didn't believe he could think straight enough to actually play.

"I'm gonna have to pass. But I'm sure Fitz will play with you," he said, eyeing the kid getting out the playing pieces for Monopoly. "Just remember, every two hours."

Skye nodded and Ward brushed past her, making his way to his bunk. She watched him go, eyeing his handsome form displayed through his tight shirt. She knew now wasn't the time, but she wondered when they would talk about what had happened. At least it didn't seem like he was avoiding her but that could have as much to do with his head injury as anything else.

Sighing deeply, she made her way back to the table where Fitz was waiting.

OOOOO

The first time she had to wake him up, they were still in the middle of Monopoly. Simmons had joined them and Fitz was beating them both pretty badly. Skye almost jumped out of her seat when her I-Pod alarm went off.

"Looks like Agent Ward gets his first rude awakening," Simmons said, giving Skye an apologetic smile. "Sorry you got the short stick."

"Nah," she said, turning off the alarm. "Any opportunity to get back at Ward for muscle training madness." She raised her eyebrows at them and then made her way to Grant's bunk, opening the door and then closing it behind her.

She crept through the semi-darkness over to his bunk where, predictably, he was completely out and sleeping peacefully. Looking at him for a long moment, she took in his smooth face, his slightly mussed dark hair, his closed mouth; predictable that he would sleep with a closed mouth, his uptight personality coming through even in slumber. She almost didn't want to wake him.

Sighing, she reached out a hand and placed it on his arm, shaking him lightly. He groaned and rolled over a bit, revealing the large bandage that covered his stitches. She shook him a little harder.

"Grant, wake up. I just have to know you're not unconscious or dead. You know, that would really suck right? If you were, I mean, dead. So, just wake up so I can get back to my Monopoly game, which Fitzsimmons are probably stacking against me right now."

His eyes began to flutter and then suddenly, they were open, revealing dark eyes that were slightly confused.

"Skye?" he asked, blinking rapidly, obviously confused.

"Hey there." She smiled at him and became aware that her hand was still on his arm.

"What's going on?" He frowned at her slightly.

"Remember, world dominating mind control device, suicide mission, concussion, and rather happily you not dying?"

He groaned again and rolled on to his back, her hand slipping from his arm. She moved it off him and looked at him, waiting to see if he was really completely lucid.

"Right…" As if his pulsing head could let him forget. "I'm awake Skye. I'm fine. I'll see you in two hours."

His body stretched under the blanket and more of his bare chest was revealed, making her pause in her exit. Then, in a sudden burst of courage, she leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek. His closed eyes flew open and connected with hers. She smiled at him.

"See you in two hours."

OOOOO

Two hours later, Simmons had won the game and Skye had discovered that for once, they actually hadn't cheated, even though they had plenty of opportunity while she was in Ward's room. They had put the game away and the two scientists had disappeared into Simmons bunk. Skye couldn't tell if they were together or just really good friends, but judging from the low talking and occasional giggling that was coming from Simmons bunk, they probably weren't making out.

She had relaxed onto the couch, finding herself dozing off until the second alarm jolted her out of her light sleep. Turning off the alarm quickly, she sat up and tried to get the awful kink out of her neck. Then, she made her way to Ward's bunk once again.

The rest of the plane was mostly dark now and she figured Coulson had gone to sleep, seeing there was no light coming from his office. Mei was probably still piloting the plane (or so she hoped), and it sounded like the noises coming from Simmons bunk had stopped. Walking tiredly to open Ward's door, she shut it behind her and stood at his bunk once again.

He was on his stomach, mouth still firmly closed, face relaxed, and bare back mostly exposed. Skye let out a slightly shaky breath at his well-formed muscles and ran a hand lightly down one side his spine and then up the other.

"Ward," she said softly. "Time to wake up."

He didn't even budge as she lightly touched his back. Sighing, she began to shake him slightly.

"Grant, you have to wake up."

When he still didn't budge, she began to find herself getting a little worried.

"Grant," she said louder, "please wake up. I really don't want to have to worry about losing you now that you're back here and safe."

Still, his form remained solidly asleep. Then she had a wicked idea. Very lightly, she began to touch the area behind Ward's exposed ear. Smiling when he began to squirm, she continued to brush the skin behind his ear, waiting for the inevitable moment when he would jerk awake. His squirming intensified until he finally reached up with one hand to grab her hand and pushed himself up onto one arm, fully awake and staring at her with annoyed eyes.

"What?" he asked, his voice coming out strong.

She laughed slightly. "Sorry Ward. You wouldn't wake up so I had to resort to tickle torture." Her eyes descended to his revealed chest and then back up to his face. He sighed and seemed to remember what was going on.

"Right." He released her wrist and lay back down. "I forgot to tell you I'm a deep sleeper."

"Yeah," she commented, "I noticed that."

He groaned as his head throbbed particularly painfully. "No more tickling okay? It makes my head hurt."

Skye knew he would only admit that while he was half asleep and she felt almost bad for inflicting it.

"Sorry," she said. "Well, I'll see you in two hours I guess."

"mm," was all he responded as his eyes closed again.

OOOOO

The third time her alarm went off, she was sleeping in her own bunk, the time reading 2:00AM. Groaning, she rolled over to turn off her alarm and jumped down from her bunk, almost stumbling in her tired haze. Leaving her room, she entered Ward's again and closed the door behind her. She could tell he was completely asleep once again and wondered how she would manage to wake him this time without resorting to tickling.

He was lying on his stomach again and she sat down, laying her head down on his back, her own tiredness getting the better of her.

"Ward," she said from her muffled position. "Ward get up." She raised her arms to shake him a little and he mumbled something.

"Come on Mr. Agent man, the plane is crashing. We need you to save us all."

He jerked slightly at that and Skye pulled her body off his so she was sitting up straight.

"The plane is c_rashing_?" he asked incredulously.

"Hey," she defended herself, "at least it got you to wake up without tickling."

He raised his eyebrows and then his eyes closed again. "Okay…"

Skye looked at him for a long moment and then, gathering her courage, climbed into his bunk.

"Skye," he said, confused, "What are you…"

"Hey, I'm in here every two hours anyway, I might as well just stay." She stretched her body out next to his as he rolled onto his side.

"hmm," he said, too tired to push. He draped an arm around her middle and she could feel his breath on the base of her neck. "Fine."

She could tell he was asleep almost instantly after that but Skye laid awake, enjoying the feel of his body against hers, the feel of his arm draped over her. She wasn't sure how he would react in the morning but for now, this was more than she could ask for.

Settling in, she closed her eyes.

OOOOO

They didn't wake up until the clock read 8:00 AM.

Ward groaned slightly, his eyes fluttering. His head still hurt bit it did pound less than it had the day before. It took him a moment to remember what the warm weight next to him was. Cracking his eyes open, he was greeted by a shock of dark hair and part of a smooth face. He suddenly remembered what had happened; Skye coming in to wake him up, the kiss, her tickling, and finally her body climbing in next to him. He remembered being too tired to protest and he was asleep before he could think twice.

Now, his body flush with hers, an arm draped over her waist, he wanted more than anything to kiss her. But then a view of the clock greeted him: 8 AM. What had happened to Skye's alarm, he didn't know but now they were in the position of both being in the same room in the morning. Someone was sure to see them. Ward didn't strictly know it was against the rules but, knowing Coulson, it probably was.

He moved his hand to brush Skye's arm. "Skye?" he said softly. "Skye, we have to get up."

Skye groaned a little and moved her body closer to him. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"Come on Skye. It's 8AM."

That drew a response from her and she turned over to look at him, their dark eyes meeting.

"What did you say?" she asked.

He started to repeat himself when Syke took a hand and started tracing a finger down his face, down his neck, and finally over his chest. He let out a long breath and gave Skye a glare.

"Come on Skye, we shouldn't have slept in the same bed anyway. And if someone catches us-

"Aw, tough agent robot is scared of Coulson?" She asked, her eyes dancing.

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not afraid of Coulson."

She laughed. "Liar." And began tracing his chest again. Taking her hand in his, he gave her a firm look.

"I'm not a liar. And you need to stop that."

"Make me," she dared him. He rolled his eyes, loosening his grip, and she promptly pulled out her hand and began tickling him behind his ears. He started to squirm immediately.

"Skye, stop! Come on."

She continued to tickle him and he sat up in bed, grabbing both of her hands in a tight grip.

"Skye, I don't think you realize how much trouble we're going to be in if anyone finds out you're in here with me." He was using his training voice, the one that was overly patient. "Come on now, out." He pushed her slightly and she huffed at him.

"Fine."

Swishing her legs out from under the sheets, she revealed long, mostly uncovered legs that Ward couldn't help but stare at. She smiled at him and then stepped out. He followed, pulling on some sweatpants and a shirt. Skye cracked open the door and turned to Ward.

"Looks like the coast is clear."

But Grant was looking past her, at the man who had just appeared in the doorway: Agent Coulson.

"Sir," Ward said quickly. "This isn't what-

"My office," Coulson said with a tight voice. "Now."


	6. Chapter 6

"My office," Coulson said with a tight voice. "Now."

His tone left no room for discussion so they both followed him out into the living room. Thankfully there was no one else around.

"Not you," Coulson said, turning around slightly. "Just him." He looked hard at Ward and Skye stopped following them, giving Ward an apologetic expression.

Resigning himself to his fate, he followed Coulson up the stairs and into his office.

"Shut the door behind you," Coulson said, trying to keep his tone under control. Ward did as he asked and then turned to face his rather angry superior officer.

"What the HELL Ward?" Coulson asked, his face tight. Ward waited for him to continue but he didn't and they stood staring at each other for a long moment.

"Sir, it's not what it looks like." Ward said, his posture at attention.

"Really?" Coulson asked incredulously. "What it looked like was that you're SLEEPING with an agent who's supposed to be an officer under YOUR COMMAND WARD. She's YOUR responsibility and you took advantage of that! Not only that, but you're supposed to remain OBJECTIVE in the field. How can you POSSIBLY do that when you're sleeping with someone UNDER YOUR COMMAND?"

Coulson's eyes were blazing and Ward hardly dared speak.

"Sir, we're not sleeping together."

"Really?" Coulson drew out. "Then what WERE you doing?"

"Sir, Skye was supposed to wake me up every two hours. She did that the first couple times and then she just decided to stay, thought it was easier that way. We were both so tired we didn't think about it." His face was tense as he waited for Coulson's reply.

"Fine, then explain the kiss yesterday." Coulson knew he had him by the way he looked at him.

"Sir?" Ward asked.

"Don't LIE to me Ward. You know your radios are on all the time? There was an awfully convenient long pause after I told you to go in. And I'm not dumb you know, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what those suspicious noises were. Come on Ward!" His anger seemed to be skyrocketing and he turned around for a long moment, going over to the window and breathing deeply. Ward remained silent, knowing there was nothing he could say.

When Coulson turned back, he was noticeably calmer, his face almost looking apologetic.

"You know the rules agent Ward. You can't be in a romantic relationship with anyone who is under your command." He paused to look at him. "There are good reasons for those rules."

Ward clenched his jaw and nodded curtly. "I know that sir. It's just… I don't think Skye will understand."

Coulson raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "You should have thought about that before you kissed her."

Letting out an angry sigh, Ward tried to hold back what he was thinking but found he couldn't.

"Sir, I kissed her because I thought I was going to die. I wanted her to know how I felt before I did. I'm not sorry I kissed her and I want you to know I think it's STUPID we can't have relationships because we'll still feel the same, even without the label."

They looked at each other for a long moment, neither backing down, until finally Coulson asked,

"Is that all Agent Ward?"

He nodded curtly, obviously still angry. "Yes sir."

"Then you're dismissed."

Ward looked like he was going to say something more but, after a moment he nodded and left, shutting the door much harder than was necessary.

OOOOO

His door slid open a moment later to reveal Mei's face.

"You were a little hard on him."

Coulson sighed, looking tired. "I don't really want to hear it Mei." He turned from his position at the window and went to sit behind his desk. Mei entered his room and closed the door behind her.

"You need to hear it," she said. "It's not like you to be so harsh."

He glanced up at her and crossed his arms. "What did you want me to do? Go easy on him? When he's breaking about ten SHIELD rules that he damn well knows exist? When he's taking advantage of a woman who's supposed to be under his protection? He's going to get them both killed."

Mei looked at him knowingly, her eyes patient. "And distractions in the field can cost lives."

They looked at each other for a long moment until Coulson became uncomfortable under her stare.

"What? You know it's true."

"Maybe," she responded. "But I also know their feelings aren't going to go away just because you said they can't be together." She paused. "You know we're not officially held to all of SHIELD's rules. You could let them be together."

"Oh, what then?" Coulson asked as he stood up, "let them be boyfriend and girlfriend Melinda? That's likely to work out well. Ward will never be able to focus on what needs to be done and Skye won't be able to think about anything but Ward's safety."

"I don't think you give them enough credit," Mei commented.

Coulson walked to the window again and leaned against the wall. "It's a recipe for disaster."

Mei sighed and walked over to stand next to him. "Not everyone is the same Phil. Them being apart might be worse than them being together."

His mouth tight, Coulson let out a long breath and gave her a slight nod. "I know. And maybe you're right. But for right now, we're going to try it my way."


	7. Chapter 7

Hello everyone! Thanks for the great responses to the last chapter. Maddesthatter, you're probably right that Coulson wouldn't react quite so adamantly, especially because of Clintasha, but that's the beauty of writer's license! And also the danger of writing a fan fiction story so early in the season, before we know the characters really well. I'm almost done with this one, at least for a while until we know the characters a little better and see what's actually going to happen. Probably one more chapter after this. Thanks for reading!

OOOOO

Skye found Grant in the gym not too much time later, punching the living day lights out of the bag. She could see both his arm and his head had started to bleed again, and she shook her head at his stubbornness. That man was going to kill himself.

"Hey, I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to be doing that yet, especially seeing as you're bleeding all over the floor." She motioned to the floor beneath him and he stopped punching to look over at her. His eyes were unreadable as she came over from the staircase.

"Come on," Skye said, trying to take his arm. "We need to get you cleaned up and re-stitched."

He pulled his arm away quickly, his jaw clenching. "I'm fine Skye."

"Uh, no you're not," she said, her tone disbelieving. "Did you see the floor?" She pointed to it but he still didn't look. His thoughts were clearly elsewhere.

Skye frowned. They still hadn't talked about the kiss, not really, and she still didn't know where he stood with that. Even though he had initiated it, she was getting a weird vibe from him and she wondered if the only reason he'd kissed her was because he thought he was going to die. He turned away and moved to get his water but she reached out and put a hand on his arm.

"Hey, what's going on with you?" she asked, "I mean, besides the obvious?"

His shimmering, dark eyes looked at her and there was obvious pain in them.

"The kiss was a mistake Skye." His jaw was clenching and his face tense. "We can't be together."

Skye looked at him with a disbelieving expression. "A mistake?"

He looked at her, not backing down, his jaw still working. "Yes. I'm sorry but I thought I was going to die in there. There are rules about romantic attachments in field work. It was stupid of me to think we didn't have to follow them."

She swallowed hard, taking a step back, pain entering her eyes. "Really Ward? A bunch of rules are going to keep you from being with me? Oh yeah, that's right, you're the robot agent, you don't FEEL anything, you live by rules." She could feel the hurt inside like a knife and she knew she was just trying to make him hurt just as much.

Grant didn't respond but she could tell how wounded he was by the look in his eyes. The shield that had been there when they first met seemed to go up again.

She shook her head. "Is this what Coulson wanted to talk to you about? In his office? About your duty to the rules? Because it's BOGUS. The rules are STUPID. And how do they know if we'll be better separated? Maybe we would be better together? But you won't even give it a chance! You won't even TRY to fight for me! You just do what you're told like a good soldier!"

Turning to go, she started jogging for the stairs but Grant went after her, grabbing her arm a little harder than he intended.

"Ow, Ward," she said as he whirled her around. "Let go of me. You're hurting."

She saw horror enter his eyes as she said it and he immediately let her go.

"I'm sorry," he said and backed up a few steps. She was on the verge of crying and she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing it so instead of answering, she bolted up the stairs before he could catch her.

OOOOO

He could hear her; hear her crying through the bunk wall. He had followed her up, but when he found her bunk door closed, he couldn't bring himself to knock. So he stood there, at her door, like a sad puppy, listening.

He didn't quite know what to do. He could have explained the situation differently to her, could have told her how he felt, how he wanted to be with her, could have explained why the rules were in place. But he hadn't. Why, he wasn't sure.

Most likely, he was scared, scared of being close to someone, scared of sharing. He almost welcomed the out Coulson gave him when he cited the rules to him. After all, most of his relationships had shown him nothing but pain. But hearing Skye crying from behind the door was enough to make him regret how he'd approached the subject. The sound was so horrible it actually made tears come to his eyes.

He stood there for a while. No one else passed by; or maybe they did and he just didn't notice. The noises seemed to lessen a bit and then finally they stopped. He wondered if he should knock now, if he should talk to her. Shaking his head to himself, he figured she would just run away from him again.

But his heart wanted him to go in. He wanted to resolve the fight, resolve their relationship. He wanted to be on good terms with Skye. But he couldn't bring himself to knock.

It was some time later when the door opened suddenly and he was face to face with Skye. She looked at him for a long moment, looking tired and sad, and then seemed to realize who was standing before her. Scowling at him, she pushed him out of the way and moved into the living space.

"You know you're bleeding all over the carpet right?" She asked, her tone harsh.

He looked down and saw the drips that were spattered at his feet.


	8. Chapter 8

Hello all my readers. Thanks so much for reading and supporting this story! I've had a good time writing it. I think this will be the end for now, unless anyone has any really good ideas. I have written more but I kind of want to see what's going to happen in the show before I post again. New show Tuesday! Thanks for reading!

OOOOO

It was a whole three days before they spoke again. They'd had a mission, saved the world again, and managed to get through the whole thing without directly saying one word to each other. Grant tried to talk to her but Skye always brushed him off or ignored him. Mei shot knowing looks at Coulson during the entire ordeal, and Coulson just tried to pretend Mei was only making eyes at him.

There had been one moment during their mission when Skye refused to answer Ward, even though her life practically depended on it. Such was the strength of her stubbornness. Ward had been sitting this one out because of his head injury, staying in the bus while Mei, Coulson, and Skye did all the heavy lifting. That already put him on edge but having Skye determinedly ignoring him made it that much worse. And, having her put her life in jeopardy just to prove a point had him seething.

When Mei, Coulson, and Skye returned, they drove up the ramp into the plane's garage. Ward was just coming down the stairs, having been informed of their ETA, and Fitzsimmons were waiting at the lab doors to greet the newly returned team. The three got out of the car, Skye looking warily at Ward, as he walked with purpose over to her.

"What the HELL were you THINKING!" His eyes were blazing as he grabbed her by the shoulders. "You could have gotten YOURSELF and EVERYONE else KILLED because of your STUBBONNESS!"

She was looking at him with a slightly fearful expression and everyone else had paused to watch the interaction.

"I… I just… I don't," she stammered.

"You weren't THINKING Skye. You were being SELFISH and STUPID. You're life isn't worth proving a point to me!"

Coulson walked over after a very pointed look from MEI and laid a hand on Wards arm.

"Agent Ward, I think you need to take it easy."

Letting go of Skye for a moment, Ward turned to him. "Sir, she put her life and the lives of everyone else in jeopardy because she was _mad_ at me. I don't think taking it easy is going to cut it. And I don't think any of you have anything to do with this conversation."

Coulson looked at him for a long moment, glanced at Skye, and then nodded, turning to go. Mei followed him up the stairs and Fitzsimmons skittered away quickly, not wanting to be part of the obvious fight that was coming. Ward turned back to Skye and let out a deep breath.

"It's bad enough that I have to be s_tuck _here, knowing I can't protect you. But you putting your life on the line for damn _juvenile _reasons makes it infinitely worse." They looked at each other and Skye almost shrank under his gaze. "Do you understand the mistakes you made today Skye?"

She looked to the side, seemed to consider, and then nodded. "Fine, yes, I do." She turned her eyes back to him and they were harder than before. "I understand I have to talk to you when we're on missions, for the good of the team." She paused. "But I don't have to talk to you any other times."

His jaw twitched and he almost left, almost decided he would reciprocate with his own silent treatment. But then he grabbed her shoulders, pushed her against the nearby car, and kissed her. He wasn't really sure what made him do it; maybe it was because she had almost died, maybe because he'd almost had a heart attack when she wouldn't respond, maybe because she made him so angry. Either way, it felt like the only thing to do.

He didn't even give a thought to who might be watching either. Fitzsimmons could be watching, Coulson or Mei could be on the balcony, but he really didn't care.

At first, Skye was in shock. She felt him grab her and for one wild moment, thought he was going to hit her. But then he pushed her back and started kissing her. She could hardly believe it. Why was he kissing her if they couldn't be together? She had thought he didn't really care for her, that he'd just been playing with her.

He deepened the kiss and she suddenly couldn't help but kiss him back, breathing in his scent, feeling the slight stubble on his face. She put her hands out, grasping his waist, then moving them up his body, feeling his hands tighten around her shoulders in response. He moved one of his hands to her face, turning his head and breaking for air, only to come back a moment later for an even deeper kiss. Breathing hard, she tried to pull away to catch her breath, but he wouldn't let her, continuing to kiss her hard. Then, suddenly, he pulled away and they both stood looking at each other, breath coming in deep pulls. Ward's eyes still simmered with anger but Skye could see the dark passion that was there also.

"I want you to talk to me Skye," he said, looking at her firmly, still breathing hard. "I want to be friends. I want to be more. I CARE about you." His face was hard. "But the rules are there for a reason, to keep us safe, to keep us focused, to keep us from taking advantage of each other." His eyes grew a little softer as he looked at her and she began to realize he was telling her the truth.

"So you weren't just… you know… playing with me?" Skye asked.

He sighed and shook his head. "I would NEVER do that." They looked at each other for a long moment and then Skye came forward and buried her head in his chest. He responded by wrapping his arms around her and sighing deeply.

It was then that he noticed Coulson standing on the balcony above, his expression a mixture of relief and wariness. How much he had seen, Ward didn't know, but he didn't look angry enough to have seen the kiss. That, at any rate, was good. And he could explain the hug innocently enough. But for now, at least, he would enjoy feeling Skye close and looked forward to being on good terms with her again. Coulson he could deal with later.


End file.
